Emily.
“Wait, you think certain girls might have been targeted?” Was she still in danger? We’d kept our distanceofficially.
He arched an eyebrow. “No, I have no evidence of that. Rice believes he can use what he knows about all of us to build himself a new empire," Sidorov continued. “I have my own internal concerns to deal with from the Sicilians who also seem to think they can also take what is mine, and I have to deal with that first.” He drained his glass and stood, indicating the conversation was over. “As soon as that business is done I will turn my mind to a little pest control. Perhaps when all this business is behind us, your young ladies may like to come and have tea with Katya? It is hard for her to make suitable friends.”
The black SUVs took us all the way back to our compound's gates, paused while we both got out, then peeled away in perfect synchronization, like a choreographed dance of death that had decided to spare us. Neither Gideon nor I spoke until we'd pulled my car through our security gate and parked.
"What the actual fuck just happened?" I finally breathed, my knuckles white on the steering wheel.
Gideon ran a hand over his face. "We just had drinks with the head of the Bratva, who basically told us he's a Daddy Dom, and invited our Littles for a playdate."
I wanted to laugh. It was either laugh or lose my mind trying to process the last hour. “Do you think she’s in danger?”
Gideon knew who I meant.
“You’ve deliberately stayed away so as not to paint a target on her. We had a team follow her for the last four weeks and nothing has flagged.”
All true. I’d kept away for exactly this reason. I knew if Rice picked up on my interest he’d target her. But she didn’t know me. Didn’t know anything about me, or that I’d been involved in the rescue. I knew we were supposed to keep it like that.
I just didn’t know for how much longer I could.
Chapter One
Dion
I pulled into the parking lot at Furbabies and eyed the streamers and balloons adorning the banner that read ‘Pet Adoption Day – Meet Your New Furbaby’ and wondered if Emily herself had decorated it.
It had been a long month and an even longer extra week since Gideon and I had been taken to meet Sidorov. It had astonished everyone that Emily went back to work a week after being rescued. Completely unbelievable in my opinion that she'd been held captive for fourteen days, having fuck knew what done to her, then calmly gone back to work. In fact, the only reason thePet Adoption Day had been cancelled the week she returned was because the shelter had an outbreak of kennel cough and closed to visitors.
The team had reported that the only places Emily went were work and here. She even got her groceries delivered, and once she was at home for the night, and the official team clocked off, was the time I started. I knew Eric had cameras in place but if they snatched her cameras wouldn't help. I had no intention of leaving her safety to anyone else.
She volunteered here every weekend but was turning up on a Thursday night to work after both a full day with Children and Family Services today, and another tomorrow. I'd been watching her when I could and knew she was losing weight.Too much.Her grocery deliveries were pathetic. Microwavable meals that weren't designed for nutrition or comfort. And I doubted if she was getting enough sleep either.
I sat in my truck for a moment and questioned myself again. I was a stubborn, recalcitrant SOB used to barking out orders and having them obeyed, even though I’d left the Marines years ago. I wasn't soft like Maddox.
Whatever possessed me to think a sweet Little like Emily Carter would even give me the time of day I didn’t know.
If she was a Little.
She was certainly capable of being a brat if pushed, as I remembered hearing her cuss out the guards. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. About the strength in her voice when she’d stood up to that guard, despite everything. The way her body had trembled, but her chin had stayed high. Brave. So damn brave. And something else, something softer—something that curled warm in my chest. Standing up to them was very brave but very reckless and my hand itched to put her over my knee for it. I shook my head, pushing back the thought. Too soon to be thinking about that. Way too soon.
If ever.
I'd watched as both Maddox and Gideon had gotten their Little girls and known deep down that it wouldn't be happening for me. All I got, all I could ever hope for, was the occasional submissive at Salvation, but even then, they were into the kinds of things I wasn't.
I'd been watching the building for the past hour. The event didn't officially start until five, but Emily had arrived early, her car pulling into the employee lot at the back of the building. Through the front windows, I'd seen her bustling around, setting up tables and pens for the animals, her enthusiasm evident even from a distance.
Eric had done his usual thorough job on the background check. Emily Carter, twenty-eight, social worker. Graduated top of her class despite working two jobs to put herself through school after her parents cut her off. Currently employed at Children and Family Services but volunteered every weekend at Furbabies Animal Rescue.
The file didn't mention her being a Little, but then again, it wouldn't. That wasn't the kind of information that showed up in public records. But the info her roommate had given us when she’d disappeared led us to believe… fuck, I was grasping at straws. I knew that.
I glanced at my watch. Five. Time to make my move before the place got crowded. I stepped out of my truck, my boots crunching on the gravel of the parking lot. I’d no idea what to say though, and I knew Gideon was likely to kill me, but I couldn't stay away any longer. I already had two dogs. Hades and Anubis were two highly trained guard dogs, even if they did become giant lapdogs when they were given the command to "stand down” at home.
The bell above the door jingled as I entered, and I was immediately hit with the sounds and smells of an animal shelter—barking dogs, meowing cats, and the distinct scent of pet shampoo.
And there she was. Emily Carter, standing behind a folding table covered with brochures, her long brown hair pulled back into pigtails with pink ribbons. She wore a baby blue t-shirt with the Furbabies logo and jeans that hugged her curves. This close I knew she was at least a pant size down and I hated it. I wanted to bury my head between her jiggly breasts and have those gorgeous thighs wrapped around me… My breath caught in my throat, and I blinked, realizing I was going to embarrass myself very shortly if I didn't get my head straight, so I stepped forward.
She looked up, those big doe eyes landing on me, and for a moment, I forgot why I was here. And there—for just a fraction of a second—alarm chased over her face before she smiled.
